The Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks faced off in the first game of the NBA Cup. The Hawks played without their star point guard, Trae Young, but it did not matter, as they pulled off the 117-116 upset victory. Dyson Daniels scored 28 points, and Jalen Johnson had a triple-double. Boston led early on, but a poor rebounding effort and turnovers helped fuel an Atlanta comeback. A tip-in from Onyeka Okongwu gave the Hawks the lead in the final seconds, helping them improve to 5-7, while the Celtics fell to 9-3.
Boston Celtics Up at Half
The first quarter was competitive, as both teams went back and forth. Jaylen Brown led the way for the Boston Celtics with 16 points in the first quarter. After recently missing time with a hip flexor strain, Brown looked like he was back in his prime form early on. Meanwhile, with Trae Young out, Dyson Daniels and Jalen Johnson stepped up for the Hawks. Daniels was a defensive pest in the first half, with 3 steals. He also had 9 points on 4-of-8 shooting. Johnson led the Hawks with 12 points and 5 rebounds, shooting 5-of-7. At the end of a tight first quarter, the Boston Celtics led 31-29.
The Celtics built a bit of a lead in the second quarter as their three-pointers began to fall. Derrick White heated up with 14 first-half points on 5-of-9 shooting. Brown still led the team at halftime with 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including a huge alley-oop coming off a lob from White. Jayson Tatum scored 13 with 5 rebounds and 5 assists. This helped Boston build a lead, but the Hawks were still feisty and competitive. They outrebounded the Celtics on the offensive glass and kept themselves in the game. At halftime, the Boston Celtics were up 65-54.
Atlanta Hawks Comeback
In the third quarter, the Boston Celtics were eager to put the game away, but Atlanta continued to persist. Without Trae Young, they were aggressive on defense. The Hawks got steals and got into passing lanes, mainly via Dyson Daniels. Clint Capela also began to stuff the stat sheet with 18 points and 9 rebounds. Larry Nance also contributed with 16 points, shooting 4-of-5 from three. The Hawks cut the Celtics lead to as low as 4, and through three quarters, the Hawks trailed 91-84.
Atlanta fought on in the fourth quarter, with Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels making plays all over the court. The Hawks tied the game at 97 with their continued dominance on the glass. From then on, both teams traded baskets down the stretch. With less than three minutes to play, the score was tied 108-108. A huge three from Derrick White gave Boston the lead, and then Jaylen Brown hit one, redeeming himself for a few missed free throws earlier.
But another Larry Nance three made it a one-point game. Brown and Wallace traded buckets, and a rim-out on a Tatum three gave the Hawks the last shot. Daniels missed a floater, but Onyeka Okongwu tipped it in for the score to put Atlanta up one. The rebounding was detrimental for the Celtics, as it had been doing all game. In the Celtics’ final plays, they threw the ball away, and Jaylen Brown missed a contested shot, giving Atlanta the upset win 117-116.
Final Thoughts
This win puts the Atlanta Hawks at 5-7 on the season and 1-0 in NBA Cup Play. Without Trae Young, Dyson Daniels scored 28 points with 7 assists and 6 steals. Also, Jalen Johnson had a triple-double with 18 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. The Boston Celtics drop to 9-3 and 0-1 in NBA Cup Play, which will make their chances of advancing much more difficult. Brown and White led the way with 37 and 31 points, but Boston failed to put Atlanta away when they had the chance, and it cost them.
